Family campaigning for change in law after a massive gas blast
A Halifax family left devastated after their home was destroyed by a gas explosion are campaigning for a change in the law.
Gwen and Liam McLaughlin’s home on Green Lane in Illingworth was demolished by the blast in December 2020 which, according to one neighbour “lifted the roof away” from the house where they had lived for 15 years.
Mrs McLaughlin was seriously injured, suffering burns all over the body, having to be put in an induced coma and suffering a stroke which impacted the whole right-hand side of her body.
The couple’s daughter, Gemma McLaughlin, has for the last three years been pursuing a personal injury claim against Northern Gas Networks on behalf of her parents – but found out this week the case has been closed.
The reason she has been given, she says, is that because there were gas works being carried out nearby at the time of the blast, the utilities firm is not liable.
She is now desperate to get the matter debated in Parliament to change this rule.
"We just want this clause overturned to stop it happening to anyone else,” she said.
"It was awful. My parents lost everything that they worked so hard for.”
The explosion happened at around 7.30am. Gemma said her mum, 64 at the time, had gone downstairs to answer the door to the postman. When she went back upstairs, she switched a light on and the house "went boom".
Mr McLaughlin, also 64 at the time, was in bed and found himself “covered in concrete”, said Gemma.
He managed to climb out and then heard his wife shouting for help. He dug her out of the rubble to rescue her.
Mrs McLaughlin spent four and a half months in hospital and needed her family to care for her when she left.
She could not continue in her job at a card warehouse and Mr McLaughlin had to retire early from his forklift truck engineer job to look after her.
"Before, she'd been totally independent and enjoyed seeing friends and worked fulltime," said Gemma.
"After the explosion, she needed help with absolutely everything."
Mrs McLaughlin was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2021 and was able to have radiotherapy but Gemma says other treatment options that should have been available that may have kept her mother alive longer were not because of the explosion’s severe impact on her health.
Mrs McLaughlin died last month, leaving her husband, four children and five grandchildren.
"It's been blow after blow for us,” said Gemma, who says she is angry and heartbroken. It's affected the whole family."
A spokesperson for Northern Gas Networks said: “Northern Gas Networks is committed to delivering the highest standards of safety for customers, colleagues and members of the public, and maintaining a safe and reliable gas network is our top priority.
“We can confirm that in relation to Northern Gas Networks, the Health and Safety Executive has closed its investigation into the incident on Green Lane and had found no wrongdoing on the part of the company.
"We have every sympathy for the McLaughlin family, but we cannot comment on any ongoing proceedings which may be related to the case.”